News and Updates for Healthcare Professionals

The USPSTF is deeply committed to addressing the opioid epidemic by promoting primary care strategies to prevent opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. After careful consideration of public feedback on this issue, the USPSTF has determined that it can best help address the opioid epidemic by identifying what new research is most needed on primary care strategies for preventing opioid misuse and opioid use disorders. 

The USPSTF has recommendations related to opioid use including screening for use of illicit drugs and misuse of prescription drugs and interventions to prevent drug use in adolescents and young adults.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule today to update and modernize requirements for the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The PACE program provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain frail, elderly individuals who qualify for nursing home care but, at the time of enrollment, can still live safely in the community. The policies finalized in this rule reflect the latest standards in caring for PACE participants – many of whom are “dually eligible” for both Medicare and Medicaid – and will strengthen patient protections, improve care coordination, and provide administrative flexibilities and regulatory relief for PACE organizations.

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NIDA announces awardees at the 2019 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

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AHRQ’s commitment to improving care for the nearly one of three American adults living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) is the subject of a new blog post by Arlene S. Bierman, M.D., M.S., director of AHRQ’s Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement, and Gopal Khanna, M.B.A., director of AHRQ. Central to AHRQ’s efforts will be research investments that identify areas of unmet need and explore treatment models that are less disease-specific and emphasize whole-person care. In a previous post, Director Khanna identified improving care for people with MCC as one of three urgent challenges that will guide the Agency’s future activities. Future blog posts will outline the Agency’s two additional areas of emphasis: establishing a data and analytics platform to support healthcare decision making, and using evidence-based strategies to reduce diagnostic errors.

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Trans fat intake is responsible for over 500,000 deaths from coronary heart disease each year globally. WHO welcomes the commitment by the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) to align with the WHO target to eliminate industrially produced trans fat from the global food supply by 2023.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with IFBA representatives to discuss actions to take to eliminate industrial trans fats, and reduce salt, sugar and saturated fats in processed foods.

"Eliminating industrially-produced trans fat is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save lives and create a healthier food supply,” said Dr Tedros.

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By: Vanila M. Singh , MD, MACM

Summary: Dr. Vanila Singh explains the work of the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force.

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NIH supports increasing knowledge of asthma and better treatment and prevention options

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Recommendations for scientists and public emerge from NIH-funded workshop.

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MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

A new MedWatch Safety Alert was just added to the FDA MedWatch webpage.

TOPIC: Certain Prescription Insomnia Medicines: New Boxed Warning - Due to Risk of Serious Injuries Caused by Sleepwalking, Sleep Driving and Engaging in Other Activities While Not Fully Awake

AUDIENCE: Patient, Health Professional, Pharmacy

ISSUE: FDA is advising that rare but serious injuries have happened with certain common prescription insomnia medicines because of sleep behaviors, including sleepwalking, sleep driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake. These complex sleep behaviors have also resulted in deaths. These behaviors appear to be more common with Lunesta (eszopiclone), Sonata (zaleplon), Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist (zolpidem) than other prescription medicines used for sleep and we are requiring a Boxed Warning, our most prominent warning, to be added to the prescribing information and the patient Medication Guides for these medicines.

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Telehealth for Acute and Chronic Care Consultations

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